Starter for internal-combustion motors



Feb, 5, 1929. 1,700,750

F. A. VASTANO STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION MOTORS Filed Aug. 24, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 if? l9 l7 E-18 -13; 4 I I: I;

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X I l o o o 1| II I II 3 1| I WITNESS INVENTOR WM BY A TTUR/VEV Feb. 5, 1929. 1,700,750

F. A. VASTANO STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION MOTORS Filed Aug. 24, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VE N TOR,

WITNESS Patented Feb. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES- FREDEBIGK A. VASTANO, OF'ZPATERSON, NEW JERSEY.

STARTER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION MOTORS.

Application filed August 24, 1927. Serial No. 215,073.

This invention relates to starting means for internal combustion motors and has in view in particular to provide a starting means for so-called kickers, or outboard-motors used in propelling small boats, which may be applied to existing types of such motors without considerable change in their construction and which shall be simple, reliable, and easily operated.

Given the rotary element (of the internal combustion motor) to be started and provided with a clutch portion, my invention broadly contemplates the combination therewith of an electric circuit having a source of energy and also a break therein, an electric motor in the circuit, and means shift-able to close the circuit and thereupon transmit rotation from the motor to said element including a clutching member driven by the motor and shiftable as a part of said means into clutching engagement with said clutch portion of the latter. In the specific embodiment herein set forth said means also includes, with said member, a device whose special. function it is to close the circuit as well as cause the shifting of said member. In the simplest and otherwise best form the clutching member is coaxial with said element and shiftable lengthwise of its axis.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation ofa motor having my starting means and applied to a boat,

which partly appears, in section;

Fig. 2 is a plan, the boat being omitted;

Fig. 3 shows the principal parts of my invention on a larger scale and mainly in section;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4, Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 shows a detail.

At the rear of the boat 1 is mounted the internal combustion motor or kicker 2, with its main or propeller shaft 3 upright, such motor as shown being of a well known type. The shaft 8 has suitably affixed on its upper end the fly-wheel 4, and they together form the aforesaid rotary element of the motor, the remaining parts of which, being well known and having no particular bearing on the pres ent invention, require no description herein. The shaft 3 usually has a threaded upper end 3 protruding from the flywheel and receiving a nut which bears upon the latter. In place of this nut I screw on said threaded end 3* a tubular shaft-extension or post 5 having a top wall 5" with a central opening 5 therein.

On said rotary element is secured a clutchpiece 6, here shown held to the fly-wheel by cap-screws 7. Also on said element but revolu-ble and also longitudinally shiftable thereon is the aforesaid rotary member driven by the electric motor; in the present example this comprises a clutch-piece 8 (to engage clutch-piece 6) having a threaded major extension 8, a sprocket-wheel 9 screwed fast on the extension 8 and a lock-nut 10 (to secure the sprocket in place) screwed on a further or minor and reversely threaded (Fig. 5) extension 8 of the clutch-piece 8. Said member and element together afford a housing 11 (around the protruding part of the shaft) and this contains a spiral spring 12 which normally holds the clutching portion of said member clear of that of said element, as shown in Fig. 3. Assuming said rotary member to be driven, on forcing the same toward the fly-wheel said member and element will be clutched together and the latter driven by the former.

The clutching member formed by the sprocket wheel and its clutch-piece 8 is driven, through a chain 13, by a sprocket wheel 14 on or forming a part of the rotor of an electric motor 15 which it will be convenient to mount in a bracket 16 projecting from a fixed part, as the casing, of the motor 2. This motor is in a circuit 17 having a source of electric energy 18 and a break (to be indicated in the circuit.

For closing the circuit and shifting said clutching member into clutching engagement with the clutch portion of said rotary element t-6 I provide a knob. This includes the knob-proper 19 of insulating material, a headed central stem 20 projecting downwardly therefrom, and a metal collar 21 embracing the depending flange 19 of the knob-proper. The knob-proper caps the upper end of the shaft extension, with the stem 20 reaching through opening 5 thereof and its head 20 below wall 5 and so retain- M ing the knob in place. The stem of the knob is seated on a spiral spring 22 housed in the shaft-extension, and of less resistance than spring 11. Collar 21 forms one terminal of the mentioned circuit and some other metal part of the mechanism normally insulated from the collar by the flange 19 ma form the other terminal, leaving (normal y) the aforesaid break in the circuit at 23, Fig. 3.

When the means including the knob (which is in effect swivelled on said rotary element) and said clutching member is auto Ill)

shifted downwardly, as by pressure being exerted on the knob until it contacts with and then depresses said member, the circuit other, whereby the motor 15 will impart ro-.

tary impulse to the motor 2 to start the same.

Having thus fully described my invention,

What I claim is:

1. In combination, the rotary element to be started rotating and having a clutch portion, an electric circuit having a source of energy and also a break therein, an electric motor in the circuit, and means shiftable in one direction both to close the circuit and thereupon transmit rotation from the motor to said element including a rotary clutching member driven by the motor and shiftable as a part of said means into clutching engagement with said clutch portion.

2. In-combination, thev rotary element to be started rotating and having a clutch portion, an electric circuit having a source of energy and also'a break therein, an electric motor in the circuit, and means shiftable to close the circuit and thereupon transmit rotation from the motor to said element including a rotary clutching member driven by the motor and coaxial with said element and shiftable as a part of said means lengthwise of the axis of said member and element into clutching engagement with said clutch portion.

3. In combination, the rotary element to be started rotating and having a clutch portion, an electric circuit having a source of energy and also a break therein, an electric motor in the circuit, a rotary clutching member driven by the motor and shiftable into clutching engagement with said clutch portion, and movable means manually moved to close the, circuit and shift said member into such engagement.

4. In combination, the rotary element to be started rotating and having a clutch portion, an electric circuit havin a source of energy and also a break therein, an electric motor in the circuit, a rotary clutchlng member driven by the motor and coaxial with said element and shiftable lengthwise of the axis of said member and element into clutching engagement with said clutch portion, and means movable to close the circuit and shift said member into such engagement.

5. In combination, the rotary element to be started rotating and having a clutch portion, an electric circuit having a source of energy and also a break therein, an electric motor in the circuit, means shiftable to close the circuit and thereupon transmit rotation from the motor to said element including a rotary clutching member driven by the motor and shiftable as a part of said means into clutchin engagement with said clutch portion, and a spring yieldingly opposing the shifting of said member.

6. In combination,- the rotary element to be started rotating and having a clutch portion, an electric circuit having a sourceiof energy and also a break therein, an electric motor in the circuit, a rotary clutching member driven by the motor and shiftable into clutching engagement with said clutch portion, means movable to close the circuit and shift said member into such engagement, and elastic means yieldingly opposing the shifting of said member and the movement of said device.

7. In combination, the rotary element to be started rotating and having a clutch portion, an electric circuit having a source of energy and also a break therein, an electric motor in the circuit, a rotary clutching member driven by the motor and shiftable into clutching engagement with said clutch portion, and a knob coaxial with said element and movable lengthwise of its axis to close the circuit and shift said member into such engagement.

8. In combination, the rotary element to be started rotating and having a clutch portion, a rotary clutching member, means to rotate said member, said member being shiftable into clutchengagement with said portion to start said element rotating, and a knob movable to cause such shifting of said member swivelled and arranged concentrically with respect to said element.

9. In combination, the rotary element to be started rotating and having a clutch portion and a threaded projection projecting centrally of said portion, an extension screwed on said projection, a clutching member revoluble on said extension and shiftable thereon into and out of clutching engagement with said portion, and means to rotate said member.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FREDERICK A. VASTANO. 

